Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly

8 December 2021

 

My dear friends,

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. I am honoured to give remarks at the annual UN Correspondents Association Gala Awards, celebrating excellence in journalism. 

I understand that many of you had repeatedly been asking my spokesperson where this event would be held.

It is truly a testament to your skills as investigative journalists that you have managed to find us. Welcome all, I am very happy to have you here.

My friends,

Before I came here, I was asked to be short and light. And I thought to myself: that can’t be too difficult, I am only 5’1 and 165lbs!   

Dear Friends

Over the past two years it has become easy to get caught up in the tragedy and exhaustion of the pandemic; to forget that there is so much worth celebrating, and so many reasons to stay hopeful.

My own optimism stems from the resilience of the human spirit. Its capacity to not only endure hardships but generate solutions to the challenges confronting us: from the climate crisis, to conflict, to inequality.

I do not deny the scale of these challenges. I simply acknowledge our capacity to make a difference and the need to approach these tasks with a positive outlook. And to be frank, coming from the Maldives – a country with its highest point at a towering two and a half meters above sea level, confronted with the existential threat of sea level rise due to climate change – positivity and the moral high ground is all we have to stand on!

Dear friends,

Neither our work nor our ability to sustain hope would be possible without journalists.

I thank all those journalists who have continued to report tirelessly on the United Nation’s work to tackle the global pandemic and the other challenges confronting our world. Yes! Of course, a very, very special thanks to those who have reported positively on the PGA!

You shine a light on our progress. And due to the lighting in the briefing room, I sometimes have the privilege of shining it back at you!

You hold us accountable where we fall short. And in my case that would be all the time!

And you remind us of the value of comprehensive, fact-based reporting, in a world rife with misinformation, cheap political soundbites – and advertisements promising a cure for male pattern baldness. None of which work. Or so I am told.

Friends, in all seriousness, coming from a country that has only very recently embarked on its democratic experiment – an experiment that I am very proud to have contributed to and supported – I value the role journalists play as members of the fourth estate.

I trust that you will always continue to play that role. I trust that you will always strive to be accurate, unbiased, and comprehensive in your reporting.

I trust that you will always prioritize and report on the events that matter, and that you will exercise your own free judgement in determining what matters, without fear of penalty.

Rest assured that I will do all that I can to support and celebrate journalism, to uphold freedom of expression, and to instill transparency in policymaking.

I have supported these principles and values throughout my career. And I will continue to support them throughout my tenure as President of the General Assembly, and beyond.

As I stated to you, dear friends, during one of my first press briefings in September: never stop keeping us on our toes.

In my case, this will be a very simple task. Just hold the cameras at your shoulder level.

Thank you, and have a very pleasant evening.